A railroad yard in Oneida, Tennessee was contaminated with creosote in the 1950s and 1960s through cross tie treatment. The problem was discovered in 1990 and phytoremediation in combination with an interception trench was chosen as the remediation strategy. Hybrid poplar trees (1,036) were planted in 1997 within 0.7 acres. The goals of the phytoremediation system are to prevent migration of the contaminant off the site and clean up the contaminant in-situ. This study is focused on quantifying the rate of evapotranspiration of the phytoremediation system and then determining the effect on groundwater flow. This will be accomplished by quantifying evapotranspiration using a water budget, applying White's Equation, comparing groundwater recession curves, creating a groundwater flow model, and examining water table elevations obtained at the site. Calculations of water use by the poplar trees in early September 1999 ranged from 0.62 to 1.34 gal/day/tree. The volume of evapotranspiration calculated for the trees during 1999 is 140,292 gallons. Total evapotranspiration determined by the water budget for 1998 is 1,570,064 gallons. Evaluation of the water level data over a period of several years shows significant lowering of the water table (fluctuations of up to four feet) during the summer and fall months due to evapotranspiration. Although calculated evapotranspiration rates are not as high as seen in the literature, continued monitoring of the site should show large increases in evapotranspiration rates in the future as the poplar trees mature. / Master of Science

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-04-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:08:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 sanches_maa_me_ilha.pdf: 1862589 bytes, checksum: e3625c1d280204f136503179cec091dd (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Este trabalho descreve um sistema eletrônico implementado com o objetivo de monitorar os esforços exercidos pelos membros superiores e inferiores de pacientes. O sistema é constituído por transdutores, circuitos de condicionamento de sinais, circuito de comunicação e um software para a aquisição de dados, além da visualização em um microcomputador. São descritos dois tipos de transdutores, construídos com extensômetros metálicos, um para conexão em muletas e o outro projetado para ser inserido em palmilhas. Os fundamentos teóricos necessários para o projeto destes transdutores são apresentados, bem como os esquemas dos circuitos implementados. É descrita a metodologia utilizada para a determinação das características estáticas e dinâmicas dos transdutores. Estes apresentaram respostas lineares, excelente repetibilidade, e faixa dinâmica que atende às finalidades do projeto. Foi desenvolvido um software com interface gráfica contendo várias telas que possibilitam diferentes análises e armazenamento de informações. Utilizando o sistema, foram realizadas, com êxito, medições de forças exercidas pelos membros inferiores e superiores de pacientes normais e hemiplégicos. / This work describes the development of a computer-based system able for monitoring forces acting on patients’ upper and lower limbs. The system consists of insoles and crutches instrumented with load cells, signal conditioning circuits, data acquisition system, and a computer. The results of the static and dynamic measurements can be presented in the screen of a computer through graphs and tables, and stored in a data base, to follow-up the development of a patient treatment. The program was developed in Visual Basic, and the communication uses the USB port. All transducers presented linear response, small hysteresis, excellent repeatability and resolution. Static and dynamic measurements performed with the transducers are presented as well as the visualization of the forces exerted on the plantar area and upper limbs of healthy and hemiplegic patients.

Orientador: Aparecido Augusto de Carvalho / Banca: Augusto Cesinando de Carvalho / Banca: Cláudio Kitano / Resumo: Este trabalho descreve um sistema eletrônico implementado com o objetivo de monitorar os esforços exercidos pelos membros superiores e inferiores de pacientes. O sistema é constituído por transdutores, circuitos de condicionamento de sinais, circuito de comunicação e um software para a aquisição de dados, além da visualização em um microcomputador. São descritos dois tipos de transdutores, construídos com extensômetros metálicos, um para conexão em muletas e o outro projetado para ser inserido em palmilhas. Os fundamentos teóricos necessários para o projeto destes transdutores são apresentados, bem como os esquemas dos circuitos implementados. É descrita a metodologia utilizada para a determinação das características estáticas e dinâmicas dos transdutores. Estes apresentaram respostas lineares, excelente repetibilidade, e faixa dinâmica que atende às finalidades do projeto. Foi desenvolvido um software com interface gráfica contendo várias telas que possibilitam diferentes análises e armazenamento de informações. Utilizando o sistema, foram realizadas, com êxito, medições de forças exercidas pelos membros inferiores e superiores de pacientes normais e hemiplégicos. / Abstract: This work describes the development of a computer-based system able for monitoring forces acting on patients' upper and lower limbs. The system consists of insoles and crutches instrumented with load cells, signal conditioning circuits, data acquisition system, and a computer. The results of the static and dynamic measurements can be presented in the screen of a computer through graphs and tables, and stored in a data base, to follow-up the development of a patient treatment. The program was developed in Visual Basic, and the communication uses the USB port. All transducers presented linear response, small hysteresis, excellent repeatability and resolution. Static and dynamic measurements performed with the transducers are presented as well as the visualization of the forces exerted on the plantar area and upper limbs of healthy and hemiplegic patients. / Mestre

Le but de la thèse est de modéliser la génération d’ondes élastiques ultrasonores émises par EMATs dans une pièce ferromagnétique, modélisation appliquée au domaine du contrôle non destructif (CND). Les traducteurs EMATs combinent deux physiques différentes : électromagnétisme et élastodynamique. L’enjeu est d’intégrer dans la plateforme de simulation CIVA, dédiée notamment aux CND par courant de Foucault et par ultrasons, les éléments de modélisation inhérents à la problématique multi-physique posée. Ces éléments sont multiples et concernent premièrement la modélisation des forces électromagnétiques créées par un EMAT : la force de Lorentz, existant dans tous milieux conducteurs, et les forces d’aimantation et de magnétostriction, spécifiques aux milieux ferromagnétiques. Deuxièmement, la modélisation proposée prend aussi en compte le phénomène de création d’harmoniques, phénomène dû aux différentes forces et traduisant le fait que les fréquences de l’onde ultrasonore émise peuvent être des harmoniques des fréquences du signal d’excitation de l’EMAT. Le modèle de forces et de création d’harmoniques permet de modéliser des situations de contrôle non prises en compte par les modèles de la littérature, notamment lorsque les champs statiques créés par l’EMAT sont faibles ou lorsque le courant d’excitation possède une forte intensité. Enfin, les forces électromagnétiques sont transformées en contraintes surfaciques équivalentes pour correspondre au formalisme des données d’entrée des modèles de rayonnement des ondes élastiques implémentés dans CIVA. L’outil informatique développé permet donc de traiter toute configuration et condition d’utilisation des EMATs, constituant un outil d’optimisation de leur conception. Les caractéristiques électromagnétiques de différents matériaux, données par l’expérience, sont utilisées pour mener diverses études paramétriques. / The present study aims at modelling the ultrasonic wave generation by EMATs into a ferromagnetic part in the context of non-destructive testing (NDT). Wave radiation by EMATs combines two different kinds of physical phenomena: electromagnetism and elastodynamics. The issue is to implement into the NDT simulation platform CIVA, dedicated in particular to eddy current and ultrasonic NDT, the models developed in the present work. These developments are of various nature and firstly concern the modelling of the electromagnetic forces created by an EMAT: the Lorentz force, existing in any conductive media, and the magnetization and the magnetostriction forces, which add up when the medium is further ferromagnetic. Secondly, the proposed models take into account the generation of harmonics due to the three forces. Ultrasonic frequencies of the generated ultrasonic waves can be harmonics of the frequencies of the excitation electrical signal. The model of force and harmonic generation allows us to deal with configurations not treated in the literature, namely, when the static field created by the EMAT is low or when the excitation current intensity is high. Finally, the three electromagnetic forces are transformed into equivalent surface stresses readily usable as entries of an existing model of ultrasonic wave radiation already implemented in CIVA. Thus, the combination of all these models and their translation as a numerical tool running within the CIVA platform can be used for optimizing the design of EMAT. Experimentally measured electromagnetic characteristics of different materials are used to perform various parametric studies.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper describes the use of an IEEE p1451.3 Smart Sensor bus as part of a network centric data acquisition system. IEEE p1451.3 provides for synchronized data acquisition from a number of transducers on a bus. The standard provides for Transducer Electronic Data Sheets (TEDS) that the manufacturer can use to describe the function and capabilities of the sensor module. The standard also provides for TEDS where the user can store information relevant to a particular application. The information in these TEDS can be used to generate much of the information that is required to be able to process the data during or after a test. The use of this information to configure and operate a Network Based Data Acquisition is described.

Electrical power transmission companies have been inspecting underground power cables in a time consuming and destructive way. The current methodology used by Manitoba Hydro, is to remove the conductive material in the center of the cable, cutting the cable into wafers leaving behind the insulating polymer material known as XLPE, the area where many faults occur, and inspect the wafers manually with a microscope. The main goal of this work was to find a methodology to detect these cable faults in a non-destructive way so that the quality of the cable may be assessed, and its remaining lifetime be estimated and return it to use if possible. Two XLPE power cable samples were tested. Three small holes were drilled in one XLPE cable. A capacitive transducer with center frequency of 802.8 kHz was applied for transmitting receiving signal. For each sample, 48 scans were collected. Based on ultrasound images, we were able to detect these faults in this XLPE material from the peaks of the samples corresponding to the XLPE area by setting a threshold to 0.08 volts. Also, this detection technique was improved by using fourth-order cumulants. / May 2016

No presente trabalho, foi construído um transdutor para medir as variações da indução magnética (B) e magnetostricção (?) de materiais ferromagnéticos macios em função de campo magnético aplicado (H) (voltagem V) e tensões mecânicas (?). O transdutor possui duas bobinas de excitação ligadas a uma fonte de corrente/voltagem (para aplicar o campo magnético no elemento magnetostrictivo) e um núcleo magnético, para concentrar o fluxo magnético no material ferromagnético. A magnetostricção é medida por extensômetria, a tensão mecânica é aplicada por uma máquina de ensaios universal (EMIC), a indução magnética é medida utilizando uma bobina de captura conectada a um fluxímetro e a aquisição dos dados foi realizada por um programa em Labview. O sistema mede curvas de M vs V e ? vs V para ? constante e também M vs ? e ? vs ? para V constante. A partir dessas curvas, é possível adquirir a sensibilidade do material e analisar a sua viabilidade em aplicações como sensores e atuadores. Utilizando este transdutor, foi possível caracterizar uma liga de FeAlB e comparar com uma amostra de GALFENOL, que é o material mais usado desta classe. As ligas apresentam sensibilidades (acima de 10 MPa) da ordem de 0,020 T/MPa para o GALFENOL e 0,012 T/MPa para a liga de FeAlB. Considerando que a liga de FeAlB não apresenta a melhor composição química, há muitas coisas para estudar ainda, como diferentes composições químicas e o processamento adequado para obter a textura desejada. / In the present research, a transducer was built to measure the changes of magnetic induction (B) and magnetostriction (?) for soft ferromagnetic materials in function of applied magnetic field (H) (voltage V) and mechanical stress (?).The transducer comprises two excitation coils connected at a current/voltage supply (to apply the magnetic field in the magnetostrictive element) and a magnetic core, to concentrate the magnetic flux in the ferromagnetic material. The magnetostriction is measured by strain gauges, the mechanical stress is applied by a material test system (EMIC), the magnetic induction is measured using a pick-up coil connected to a fluxmeter and the acquisition of the data was measured by a Labview software. These systems measure the curve B vs. V and ? vs. V for constant ? and B vs. ? e ? vs. ? for constant V. From this curves, it is possible to acquire the material´s sensibility and analyse the feasibility of then in application like sensor and actuators. Using this transducer, it was possible to characterize a FeAlB alloy and to compare it with a GALFENOL sample, which is the most used material of this class. The alloys show sensibility (up to 10 MPa) about 0,020 T/MPa to the GALFENOL and 0,012 T/MPa to FeAlB alloy. If we consider that the FeAlB alloy does not have the best chemical composition to reach the higher magnetostriction, there is a lot o thing to study, like different composition and the appropriate processing to obtain the desired texture.

No presente trabalho, foi construído um transdutor para medir as variações da indução magnética (B) e magnetostricção (?) de materiais ferromagnéticos macios em função de campo magnético aplicado (H) (voltagem V) e tensões mecânicas (?). O transdutor possui duas bobinas de excitação ligadas a uma fonte de corrente/voltagem (para aplicar o campo magnético no elemento magnetostrictivo) e um núcleo magnético, para concentrar o fluxo magnético no material ferromagnético. A magnetostricção é medida por extensômetria, a tensão mecânica é aplicada por uma máquina de ensaios universal (EMIC), a indução magnética é medida utilizando uma bobina de captura conectada a um fluxímetro e a aquisição dos dados foi realizada por um programa em Labview. O sistema mede curvas de M vs V e ? vs V para ? constante e também M vs ? e ? vs ? para V constante. A partir dessas curvas, é possível adquirir a sensibilidade do material e analisar a sua viabilidade em aplicações como sensores e atuadores. Utilizando este transdutor, foi possível caracterizar uma liga de FeAlB e comparar com uma amostra de GALFENOL, que é o material mais usado desta classe. As ligas apresentam sensibilidades (acima de 10 MPa) da ordem de 0,020 T/MPa para o GALFENOL e 0,012 T/MPa para a liga de FeAlB. Considerando que a liga de FeAlB não apresenta a melhor composição química, há muitas coisas para estudar ainda, como diferentes composições químicas e o processamento adequado para obter a textura desejada. / In the present research, a transducer was built to measure the changes of magnetic induction (B) and magnetostriction (?) for soft ferromagnetic materials in function of applied magnetic field (H) (voltage V) and mechanical stress (?).The transducer comprises two excitation coils connected at a current/voltage supply (to apply the magnetic field in the magnetostrictive element) and a magnetic core, to concentrate the magnetic flux in the ferromagnetic material. The magnetostriction is measured by strain gauges, the mechanical stress is applied by a material test system (EMIC), the magnetic induction is measured using a pick-up coil connected to a fluxmeter and the acquisition of the data was measured by a Labview software. These systems measure the curve B vs. V and ? vs. V for constant ? and B vs. ? e ? vs. ? for constant V. From this curves, it is possible to acquire the material´s sensibility and analyse the feasibility of then in application like sensor and actuators. Using this transducer, it was possible to characterize a FeAlB alloy and to compare it with a GALFENOL sample, which is the most used material of this class. The alloys show sensibility (up to 10 MPa) about 0,020 T/MPa to the GALFENOL and 0,012 T/MPa to FeAlB alloy. If we consider that the FeAlB alloy does not have the best chemical composition to reach the higher magnetostriction, there is a lot o thing to study, like different composition and the appropriate processing to obtain the desired texture.

An emerging demand for the precise manipulation of cells and microparticles for applications in cell biology and analytical chemistry has driven recent development of ultrasonic manipulation technology. Compared to the other major technologies used for cell and particle manipulation, such as magnetic tweezing, optical tweezing and dielectrophoresis, ultrasonic manipulation has shown excellent capabilities and flexibility in a variety of applications with its advantages of versatile, inexpensive and easy integration into microfluidic systems, maintenance of cell viability, and generation of sufficient forces to handle cells with dimensions up to tens of microns and agglomerates of a large number of cells. This thesis reviews current state-of-the-art of ultrasonic manipulation technology and reports the development of various ultrasonic manipulation devices, including simple devices integrated with high frequency (> 20 MHz) ultrasonic transducers for the investigation of biological cells and complex ultrasonic transducer array systems to explore the feasibility of electronically controlled 2-D and 3-D manipulation. Piezoelectric and passive materials, fabrication techniques, characterisation methods and possible applications are discussed. The behaviour and performance of the devices have been investigated and predicted in virtual prototyping with computer simulations, and verified experimentally. Issues associated during the development are highlighted and discussed. To assist long term practical adoption, approaches to low-cost, wafer level batch-production and commercialisation potential are also addressed.

As opposed to current Intraoperative Ultrasound (IOUS) systems and their relatively large probes and limited superficial high frequency imaging, the use of a biopsy needle with an integrated transducer that is capable of minimally invasive and high-resolution ultrasound imaging is proposed. Such a design would overcome the compromise between resolution and penetration depth which is associated with the use of a probe on the skins surface. It is proposed that during interventional procedures, a transducer array positioned at the tip of a biopsy needle could provide real-time image guidance to the clinician with regards to the needle position within the tissue, and aid in the safe navigation of needles towards a particular target such as a tumour in tissues such as the breast, brain or liver, at which point decisions surrounding diagnosis or treatment via in vivo tissue characterisation could be made. With this objective, challenges exist in the manufacturing these miniature scale devices and theirincorporation into needle packages. The reliable realisation of miniature ultrasound transducer arrays on fine-scale piezoelectric composites, and establishing interconnects to these devices which also fit into suitably sized biopsy needles are two such hurdles. In this thesis, the fabrication of miniature 15 MHz ultrasound transducers is presented. The first stage of development involved the production of single element transducers in needles ~2 mm inner diameter, using various piezoelectric materials as the active material. These devices were tested andcharacterised, and the expertise developed during their fabrication was used as the foundation upon which to design a wafer-scale fabrication process for the production of multiple 15 MHz transducer arrays. This process resulted in a 16 element 15 MHz array connected to a flexible printed circuit board and integrated into a breast biopsy needle. Characterisation tests demonstrated functionality of each of the 16 elements, both individually and combined as an array. To explore potential applications for these devices, the single element transducers were tested in fresh and Thiel embalmed cadaveric brain tissue. Plasticine targets were embedded in these brain models and the needle transducers were tested as navigational real-time imaging tools to detect these targets within the brain tissue. The results demonstrated feasibility of such devices to determine the location of the target as the needle devices were advanced or withdrawn from the tissue, showing promise for future devices enabling neurosurgical guidance of interventional tools in the brain. The application of breast imaging was also considered. Firstly, Thiel embalmed cadaveric breasts were assessed as viable breast models for ultrasound imaging. Following this, anatomical features, with diagnostic significance in relation to breast cancer i.e. axillary lymph nodes and milk ducts, were imaged using a range of ultrasound frequencies (6 – 40 MHz). This was carried out to determinepotential design parameters (i.e. operational frequency) of an interventional transducer in a biopsy needle probe which would best visualise these features and aid current breast imaging and diagnosis procedures.